Mail or parcel carrier.



PATBNTBD JUNE 7, 1904.

' Nogvsmzz.

N.. T. STARR. MAIL 0R PARCEL CARRIER. APPLIoATIoN FILED Novus, 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 IODEL.

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wif/rw sa es PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

N.T.sTAR R. E MAIL 0R PARCEL CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV'. 18.. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

nventm UNITED STATES Patented J une '7, 1904.

NEWTON T. STARR, OF VINTERSET, IOVA.

IVIAIL OR PARCEL CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,722, dated June 7, 1904.

I Application liled November 18 1903. Serial No. 181,606. (No model.)

To fallu/71,0711, it may concern;

Be it known that I, NEWTON T. STARR, a citizen of the United States,r'esiding at Winterset, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Mail or Parcel Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of mail and parcel carriers designed to travel over suspended wires and to automatically deliver inail or parcels at various 4predetermined points along its path and also to automatically collect the mail or parcels.

My objects are to provide an apparatus of this class of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction that may be operated with a minimum of expense. Y f

A further object is to provide simple, durable, and inexpensive propelling mechanism to be actuated by an electric current transmitted through the supporting-wires and in this connection to provide an automatic speedgovernor for the device to control the speed ofthe carrier independent of the amount of power generated by the motors, so that even Vif the carrier is being propelled by gravity along wires inclining downwardly the speedregulator will act just as effectively as at other times.

' A further object is to provide a carrier of this class having automatic means for successively discharging mail or parcels from the various compartments and for holding the trip-levers for the discharging-cornpartments and all except the first of the loaded compartments in an inoperative position.

' A further object is to provide acarrier of this class designed to automatically receive mail or packages while traveling over the supporting-wires.

A further object is to provide a mail or package supporting device so arranged that mail or packages/may be placed in position therein by an operhtor standing on the earths surface, and then the mail or package may be elevated' easily and quickly to a point where it will be engaged by the traveling carrier and deposited therein.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the complete'carrier having parts of its casing broken away to show interior details of construction and also showing. a mail-receiver in position to catch mail discharged from the carrier and also showing a mail-holdery supported above the carrier in position to discharge its contents into the carrier. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the lowerportion of the mail-receiving device. Fig. 3 shows a detail sectional view of a part of the automatic speedgovernor. Fig. 1 shows a vertical transverse sectional view on the indicated line 4 4. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 shows a horizontal sectional view on the indicated line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate a supporting-post. Near the top of the supporting-post is a bracket 11, extended laterally and then upwardly and having a rigid bar 12 attached thereto, said bar supporting a wire 13. `Mounted on the same post above the bracket 11 is a bracket 14., extending outwardly from the post, then downwardly at 15,v and then upwardly and inwardly at 16, and a bar 17, similar to the bar 12, is attached there- This bar 17 supports awire18, extended parallel with the wire 12 in the same horizontal plane. The carrier comprises a sheetmetal frame substantially rectangular in crosssection, the body of said frame being indicated by the numeral 19. The interior construction thereof will be more particularly described hereinafter. On top of the frame 19 are two plates 20, designed to support electric motors. These motors are identical in construction, so thatl but vone will be hereinafter described. Boltcd to the plate 2O are the brackets 21, and mounted in these brackets is a rotatable shaft 22. On each end of the shaft 22 is a traction-wheel 23, having an annular groove in its periphery and designed to travel upon and be supported by one of the supporting-wires.l Mounted upon the central portion of the shaft 22 is an armature24l, op-

IOO

erating in the iield 25, which is supported upon the plate 20. The armatm'e-brushes are indicated by the numeral 26, and the electric current is transmitted from the wheels 23 by means of wire brushes 27, connected with the conductors 28, which conductors also connect with the brushes 26. Fixed to the shaft 22 is a beveled gear-wheel 29, in mesh with a beveled gear-wheel 30 on the shaft 31, which shaft is mounted in the plate 20. At the lower end of the shaft 31 is a base 32, the upper portion of which is cone-shaped. Mounted upon the shaft 31 is a centrifugal ball-governor 33 of ordinary construetiomeonneeted with a sliding collar 34 on the shaft 31, but arranged t engage the top of the base 32 when moved downwardly. By this construction the weight of the balls normally holds the collar 34 out of contact with the base 32, and when said bolts are drawn upwardly by centrifugal force the collar 34 is pushed downwardly and forcibly held in engagement with the base 32, thus retarding the speed of the shaft 22. I have provided insulated sleeves between the wheels 23 and the shaft 22 for the purpose of preventing the current of electricity from passing from the supporting-wheels 23 to the shaft 22. These sleeves are indicated by the reference-numeral 35 in Fig. 1. Y

In order to protect the motors and the supporting-wheels, I have provided a sheet-metal cover 36, supported above the motors and wheels by means of the brackets 37, said cover being provided with downwardly-projeeting sides 38 beyond the outer ends of the shafts 22. The ends of this cover are preferably inclined downwardly to minimize the wind resistance when in motion.

I have provided for automatically discharging the mail or parcels, as follows: In the lower portion-of the carrier is a vertical partition 39, dividing the carrier into two compartments from the front to the rear. Each of these compartments is again subdivided by transverse partitions into a number of compartmentsintended for individual mail or pareels. Each of these transverse partitions is substantially A-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1, the partition being indicated by the numeral 40, thus forming a compartment open at its lower end and extending from the outer side of the cover to the middle partition 39. Each of the compartments thus formed has a segmental sheet-metal bottom 41. This bottom is passed through aslot in the adjacent portion of the partition 40, and a pin 42 is fixed to the other end of the segn'lental bottom, passed through a slot 43 in the side of the carriers, thus providing means by which the segmental bottom may move from one position where it .will form a bottom for the compartment to a second position, where it will permit the contents of the compartments to drop downwardly. In the sides of the carrier are a number of openings 44, through which mail and parcels maybe placed into the various compartments. Each comj'mrtment is provided with mechanism for automaticallymoving the sliding bottom, as follows: The numeral 45 indicates a lever having a slot 4G at its upper end and a slot 47 at its lower end. A pin 48 passes through the upper slot and into the side of the carrier, and a pin 49 passes through the upper portion of the lower slot and is slidingly mounted in said slot. The outer end of the pin 49 is secured to a tripbar 50, which trip-bar is arranged in a horizontal plane and is supported for longitiulinal movement on the side of the carrier by means of a guide 51. This bar 5() projects from one of the levers 45 to the adjacent one toward the front of the machine. Each oi' the levers 45 is provided with a shoulder 52, designed to be engaged by the slide-har 50 of the, adjacent lever. The pin 42 of the sliding bottom 41 also passes through the slot47 oi the lever. In use with this portion of the machine the sliding bottoms 41 are supported in their closed positions at one end by passing through the slot provided for it in the partition 4d and at its other end by the pin 42, passed through the slot 43 in the side of the carrier. 'lhe slotted lever 45 is supported at its upper limit of movement by the slide-bar 5() engaging the shoulder 52 thereof. All of theslotted levers 45 are provided with the shoulders 52 except the rear ones, and in use the rear levers project downwardly, so that they will strike upon an object placed in their path, which object will be cleared by the otherslotted levers. \\'he.n the return slotted lever strikes an object, the lever will be moved rearwardly. thus moving the sliding bottom 41 through the slot in the partition 40 and permitting the contents ol' the compartment to drop. In addition to this the slide-bar 50 will be moved rearwardly, releasing the slotted lever 45 immediately in front thereofl and permitting the slotted lever 45 to drop by gravity to position where its lower end will strike the next obstruction placed in its path, and this operation will be continued until all of the compartments have been opened. In this connection l have provided means for holding the slotted levers 45 at their rearwardly-inclined position, asfollows: Fixed to the side of the carrier adjacent to the lower end of each lever 45 is a liat spring 53, so arranged that its rear end moves outwardly and engages the slotted lever when said slotted lever has passed beyond the spring, thus preventing the return of thel slotted lever and holding the slotted levers in the position shown to the left of Fig. 1.

I have provided means for protecting the, mechanism on the sides of the carrier, as l'ollows: On the upper portion of each side oll the carrier is a stationary shield 54, and hinged to the lower end of said shield is a plate 55, projecting downwardly below the bottom of the carrier. This plate is detachably secured IOO IOS

in position by a pin 56, which is supported in the side of thecarrier and which is provided with a shoulder 57. The portion of the pin 56 beyond the shoulder passes through the plate 55, and a spring-key 58 is passed through the portion of the pin which projects through the plate. In this way access may readily be had to the mechanism on the side of thecarrier, and yet this mechanism will be protected from rain while the machine is in use.

I have provided a'receptacle to catch the mail, or parcels discharged from the carrier, as follows: The reference-numeral 59 indicates a rectangular hollow box permanently located at one of the points where it is designed to discharge mail or parcels, the top of the box being open. One end of the box -is inclined upwardly and outwardly, the other end of the box being open. The sides of the box at the upper end are solid, and oney side thereof is provided with an outwardly-projecting pin 61 for purposes hereinafter made clear. Projecting outwardly throughthe bottom portion of the box 59 are the journals;62, and -pivoted to the inner ends of these journals are two segmental sheet-metal side pieces 63.

These side pieces are connected by means of a curved top piece 64 and two end pieces 65 and 66. These end pieces 65 and 66 extend toward the pivotal center just far enough to engage the upper end of the end piece of the box 59, and the thin sheet-metal sides 63 in one position pass downwardly through slots formed in the end of the box 59, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Formed on or iixed to the top 64 is a curved arm 67 for purposes hereinafter made clear. I, have provided means -for normally holding the movable cover composed of the parts 63, 64, 65, and 66 to the box, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig.\1,) to thereby protect the box from rain, as follows: Mounted upon the journals 62 are thesprings 68, one end of each spring being iixed to the journal 62, which journal is iixed to the sides 63, and the other end of each spring is fixed to the adjacent sides of the box, and these springs yieldingly hold the movable member of the box to the position shown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines. At the front end of the carrier is a roller 69, and this roller is arranged to engage the curved arm 67 and push the said arm to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the bottom of the carrier will engage the arm 67 and hold it inthis position until after the carrier has passed. Obviously when the arm 67 is in this position mail or parcels discharged from the carrier will pass directly into the hollow box 59, and as soon as the carrier has passed the box -protector will spring back to its original position, thus thoroughly protecting the box from rain, because the top 64 forms a cover and the ends 65 and 66 close the ends of the box. In Fig. 2 Ihave shown thelower end of this box 59, and at the lower end is a hinged door 70, through which access may be had to the interior of the box to remove mail or parcels therefrom.

I have provided also for automatically delivering mail or parcels to the carrier as follows: On the interior of the carrier a large compartment is formed nearthe top thereof by means of the horizontal partition 71. Above the central portion of the compartment thus formed I have provided an opening 72 in the cover 36, and projectingr upwardly and forwardly from the rear side of the opening 72 is anumber of arms 73. f

At various points along the path of travel of the carrier where it is desired to have mail or parcels delivered into the carrier I have provided a post 74, having a circular top plate 75 provided with a notch 76 in its pe-y riphery. Pivotally supported in the center of the posts 74 is an upright 77, and an arm 78 is fixed near the base of the upright, and a locking-lever 79 is pivoted to said arm, said locking-lever designed to pass downwardly through the notches 76 in the plate 75. Mounted in the top of the upright 77 is a pulley 80 and a substantially T-shaped groove 81 provided in one face of this upright 77 and extending throughout its entire length. Mounted in the groove 81 is a Tsshaped head 82, arranged to slide in the said groove. Connected with the T-shaped head 82 is an arm 83, projecting horizontally from the upright 77 and having a horizontally-arranged bearing 84 at its other end. Mounted in this bearing is a rod 85, the opposite end portions ofwhich are screw-threaded in opposite directions, and a handle-86 is fixed to one end of this rod, whereby it may be manually IOO turned. On the opposite end portions of the rod 85 are two clamps 87, each of which is provided with ascrew-threaded opening to receive the said rod, so that when the rod is turned these clamps 87 will be moved to and from each other. The lower ends of the clamps 87 are provided with stationary jaws 88 and movable jaws 89, being controlled by the thumbsscrews 90.

The numeral 91 indicates a cable fixed to the T-shaped head 82 and passed over-the pulley 80 and having its lower end-wound upon a windlass 92 near the lower end of the upright 77. This windlass is controlled by a crank 93 and carries a ratchet 94, engaged by a gravity-detent 95. In use with this part of the device and assuming that the arm 83 is at its lowerv -limit of movement the operator places the mail or parcel to be delivered to the carrier between the clamps 87. Then the crank 93 is operated as required to elevate the arm 83 to its upper limit of movement, where it is stopped by means of the pin 96. Then the detent 95 by engaging the ratchetwheel 94 secures the arm 83 at its upper limit of movement. Then the operator grasps the lever 79 and turns it, together with the u pright 77, to position, where the arm 88 is directly .over the path of the carrier. Then the lever 79 is dropped into .one ofthe notches 76, and the arm 83 is thereby firmly held in position where the arms 73 of the carrier must pass between the clamps 87 and remove mail or parcels from the clamp and discharge them into the upper compartment of the carrier.

In practical use and assuming that it is desired to load the carrier the operator first places all of the slotted levers 45 in the position shown to the right of Fig. 1, so that said levers will all be supported at their upright I position and at their upper limit of movement except the two levers at the rear of the machine. rIhese will both project downwardly to their lower limit of movement, because no means are provided for holding them elevated. In this way all of the curved bottoms of the compartments are firmly held in place, and each compartment will contain the mail or parcels intended to be delivered at one point. The mail er parcels intended to be delivered first are placed in one of the rear compartments, and that intended to be second is placed in the 'other one of the rear compartments, &c. Then the hinged protectors 55 are placed in position, and an electric current is established in the supporting-wires. This will operate the motors, and the carrier will travel over the suspended supporting-wires. Then the carrier reaches the first delivery-point, the roller 69 will engage the curved arm 67, and thereby remove the cover from the receiving-box. rIhen the pin 61 on the receiving-box will be engaged by the rear lever 45 of the carrier, and the lever 45 will be moved rearwardly, thus discharging the contents of this particular compartment into the open upper end of the receiving-box. This rearward movement of the rear lever 45 will withdraw the bolt 50 from the next lever 45 to the front, permitting this lever to drop straight downwardly, and therefore be in such position to engage the next one of the pins 61 on the same side of the apparatus. The next receiving-box will be provided with a pin 6l on the side opposite from the first, so that the mail and parcels in the opposite rear compartment will be discharged into a second post. In this way the contents of the various compartments of the carrier will be successively carried in the proper receiving-boxes, and at various points throughout the path of travel of the carrier the arms 73 will engage mail or parcels supported in position, and thus the apparatus will automatically deliver and receive mail or parcels and carry them to the end of the line.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-- l. In adeviee of theclass described, a traveling carrier-frame, a normally closed dumpingbottom in the frame and a lever projecting from the frame and connected with thedmnping-bottom and moving the dumping-bottom to an open position when the projecting end of the lever is engaged by a fixed object in the path of the carrier.

2. In a device of the class described, a carrier-frame, a normally closed dumping-bottom in the carrier-frame, a lever slidingly connected with the dumping-bottom in ene position projecting from the carrier to engage a Iixed object in the path of the carrier and to automatically open a sliding betteln when brought into engagement with a lixed object, and means for locking the lever in its withdrawn position.

3. In a device of the class described, a earrier-frame, a number of compartments in the frame, a normally closed dumping-bettem for each compartment, a lever slidingly connected with each dumping-bottom and arranged in one position to be witlulrawn and in another position to be projected, and also arranged to move the dumping-bottom te its open position when the projected end el the lever engages a fixed object, means for autematically locking the levers in their with drawn position, said means released automatically by the dumping movement of the adjacent lever.

4. In adevice of the class described, a traveling carrier-frame, a number of eompzutments therein, a dumping-bottom foreach compa rtment and a lever for each dumpii'lg-bettom, said levers movable from a withdrawn pesition to a position projecting from the carrierframe and also movable in another direction to open the dumping-bottom, the dumping movement of one lever releasing the adjacent lever and permitting it to project.

5. In a device of the class described, a traveling carrier-frame, a number of compartments therein, a sliding bottom for each compartment, a vertically-arranged lever for each compartment slidingly connected therewith, means for connecting each lever with the adjacent sliding bottom to open the sliding bettom when the lever is moved rearwardly, and an automaticlever-lock pivoted to each lever projecting forwardly and engaging the adjacent level' to the front and automatically released from the lever to the frontby the rearward or dumping movement of the lever to which it is pivoted.

6. Inadevice of the class described, a traveling carrier-frame, a number ef compartments in said frame, a sliding bottom for each cempartment, a lever pivotally and slidingly mounted adjacent to one of the compartments having a shoulder on one side and connected tothe sliding bottom of said compartment, said lever connected to the sliding` bottom in such manner that the lever may freely meve up and down and when moved rearwm'dly will open the sliding bottom, and a sliding' leverlock pivoted to one of the levers and projectlOO lIO

IIS

8. In a device of the class described, a sta` tionary open-topped box and a spring-actuated cover normally closing the top of the box and movable to position uncovering the top of the box, a curved arm on the movable cover, and a traveling carrier arranged to engage said curved arm.

9. In a device of the class described, a box open at its top, journals at the sides of the box near its top, a cover pivoted to'said journals, comprising sides, a closed top and closed end pieces, a spring for holding said cover in its closed position, and a curved arm iixed to the cover, said cover movable to position Where it will leave the top open, for the purposes stated.

l0. In a device of the class described, a box open at its top, journals at the sides of the box near its top, a cover pivoted to said journals, comprising sides, a closed top and closed end pieces, a spring for holding said cover in its closed position, and a curved arm fixed to the cover, said cover movable to position Where it Will leave the top open, a traveling carrier having a d umping-bottom actuatedby a downwardly-projecting lever, a stop on one side of the stationary box to engage said lever, and a roller on the carrier to engage the curved arm. 1l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a traveling carrier, curved arms on the carrier, a swinging post secured near the path of travel of the carrier, a verticallymovable arm on the post, and a clamp on the arm to hold mail or parcels in position to be engaged by the curved'arm of the carrier.

12. In a device of the'class described, the

combination of a traveling carrier, curved arms on the carrier, a swinging post secured near the path of travel of the carrier, a verticallymovable arm on the post, a rod having a right and leftscreW-thread carried by the arm,means for turning the rod, a clamp on each portion of the threaded rod, jaws carried by each clamp for holding mail or parcels in position to be engaged by the arm of the carrier.

13. In a device of the class described, a stationary base having a notched plate at its top, a post rotatably mounted in the base, a lever pivoted to the post to lock the post by entering the notches in the top of the base, a sliding arm in the post, a mail or parcel holder on the arm, a Wi'ndlass on the post, a pulley at the top of the post, and a cable Wound upon the Windlass, passed over the pulleys and attached to the arm, Jfor the purposes stated. l

NEWTON T. STARR.

Witnesses:

CHERRY L. HYDE A. E. PAYTON. 

